Disinfecting apparatus.



F. R. BENSINGER.

DISINFEGTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0013, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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PATENT OFFICE "msmrncrnve Hummus;

"Patented Mar. 26,1912.

Application filed October 8, 1911. seriallo. 852,477.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that'I, Forums R. BENBINGER, a citizen of the United Statesfof America, residing at Franklin, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to disinfecting apparatus and more particularlyto apparatus of this character especially designed for use in connection with the flush tanks of water closets.

Various types of apparatus have heretofore been proposed for the purpose of supplying disinfectants to the bowls or hoppers of closets, urinals, etc, and some of these have been used with more or less success. I

Objections, however, have arisen- 1n actual practice in connectionwith most apparatus tank being shown in section and partly of this character, and it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide means for effectively and economically discharging a disinfecting liquid into the closet or the like each time that flushing takes place. To this end I provide a disinfectant container located in the flush tank itself, and equipped with an automatic valve device so designed as to discharge a given quantity of the liquid into the tank each time that the water level rises or falls therein.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, reference is had to the ,accompan ing drawing forming a part of this spec' cation and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete apparatus, the same being shown asapplied to the flush tank of a closet, the

broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through my improved valve and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings in detail, theflush tank is indicated at 3 and maybe of any well known type. This tank may be equipped with any of the usual feed devices for supplying water thereto, such devices operating, as is well known, to automatically fill the tank after it has been emptied through the flushing pipe. v

The disinfectant container is designated by the reference character 4, and as shown in'the drawing is preferably of a flat shallow construction, of a length sufficient to I extend entirely across the top of the tank, as illustrated in Fig. 1, The container'is provided with flanges 5 which rest upon the bottom of the container is secured a nipple 8 which may be attached to the container by means of'crimping or riveting, or by means of solder as indicated at 10. The tubular member 9 is provided with a screw threaded end 11 which is adapted to screw into the nipple 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

Through the upper part of the member 9 extendsa bore 16 which, at its lowerend .widens out to form a valve chamber, the upper end of such chamber constituting a valve seat as indicated at 12. A valve member is adapted to engage the seat 12 and such member may be of any suitable shape, but is herein shown as a ball or sphere 13. This ball valve is retained in the valve chamber by means of a second tubular member 14, which is provided with exterior threads throughout its length,'and which screws into the lower end of the tubular member 9. The member 14 is provided with a lower knurled head 15 by means of which it may be turned, and at its [upper end is formed with a flaring mouth 20, forming a second valve seat. .It' will therefore be seen that the valve 13 plays between the two seats 12 and 20.

The tublar member 14 is provided throughout its length with a central bore 17 through which extends loosely a rod 18 which is attached at its upper end to the ball valve 13, the method of attachment shown being by means of screw threads. To the lower end of the rod 18 is .attached a float which is preferably made of sheet metal, and, as shown, is in the form of a'sphere 19.

The operation of the'device will be apparent. The tank 4 being filled with disinfectant, the valve 13 is held against the uppreventing the escape .of the disinfectant as long as the water 1n the flush tank stands above a certain predetermined minimum level. When the flushing operation takes place, the float 19 moves downwardly as the water level falls, and carries with it the ball 13, finally moving it from its seat 12 and permitting the escape of the disinfecting liquid. As the water level in the tank continues to fall, the float descends until the ball 13 engages the seat 20, thus closin the valve and shutting off the flow of the isinfectant. During the time that the valve is open the disinfectant escapes from the container and passes down through the bore 17 falling upon the rounded top of float 19, from which it is disseminated through the water of the tank. As the tank refills with water the reverse operation takes place, namely, the valve is first lifted from its seat 20 and then brought into engagement with the seat 12, thus permitting the disinfectant to escape during the movement of the valve from one seat to the other and thereby effecting the charging of the water in the tank with disinfectant. It is evident that by adjusting the tubular member 114 by means of the knurled end 15, the distance between the valve seats 12 and 20can be.

varied as desired, and the quantity of disinfectant discharged at each operation thus regulated. The entire valve mechanism may be disconnected from the container when desired by unscrewing the same from the nipple 8.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a cheap and simple apparatus for automatically and intermittently supplying disin fectant to the water of the flush tank, such apparatus operating to feed the disinfectant into the tank whenever the water level therein lies between two predetermined points, and it is thought that the many advantages of my improved apparatus will be I screw threads extending to the end of the tube, a similarly threaded plug fitting such enlarged bore and constituting another valve seat, the distance between said seats being adjustable by screwing said plu more or less into the bore of the tube, a va ve located 'in said chamber between said seats said plug having an axial opening, a valve stem secured to said valve and extending downwardly through such opening, said stem being smaller than said openm whereby a space for liquid flow is provi ed, said plug being of greater diameter than said valve, whereby such valve may be taken out by removing the plug, and a float carried by the lower end of said valve stem and adapted to move said valve into engagement with one or the other of said seats.

2. The combination with a flush tank, of a. disinfectant container associated therewith, and anautomatic discharge device extending downwardly from the bottom of said container, such device comprising a socket secured to the bottom of said container, such socket being internally screwthreaded, an imperforate tube having its upper end screw threaded into said socket, the bore of the lower portion of said tube being enlarged to form a valve chamber, and the upper end of such chamber constituting a valve seat, such enlarged bore being rovided withinternal screw threads 'exten ing to the end of the tube, a similarly threaded plug fitting such enlarged bore and constituting another valve seat, the distance between said seats being adjustable by screwing said plug more or less into the bore of the tube, a valve located in said chamber between said seats said plug having an axial opening, a valve stem secured to said valve and extending downwardly through such opening, said stem being smaller than said opening, whereby a space for liquid flow is provided, said plug being of greater diameter than said valve, whereby such valve may be taken out by removing the plug, and a float carried by the lower end of said valve stem and ada ted to move said valve into engagement w1th one or the other of said seats. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture in presence of two witnesses.

FORBES R. BENSINGER.

Witnesses:

WM. B. GRIIFFEN, B. F. GAULT. 

